Moon Mission

Andre Douglas' first three months as a NASA astronaut have taken him from training in Arizona to readying for a moon mission. Douglas, who became eligible for NASA spaceflight assignments in March, was named a backup for the highly anticipated Artemis 2 mission just weeks after he passed two years…

You’re standing on the moon, gazing up at the Sun without the protective blanket of an atmosphere that we know and love on Earth. The sky is a stark, black canvas dotted with stars; the Sun is an unfiltered beacon. Now, picture this surreal scene interrupted by a massive solar…

NASA's next moon spacecraft for humans made one small leap into an altitude chamber for vital testing before it brings astronauts on board. The Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2 is slated to fly around the moon with four astronauts no earlier than September 2025 — but first, engineers with NASA…

Artist's illustration of Astrobotic's CubeRover and Griffin lunar lander on the surface of the moon. (Image credit: Astrobotic/Mission Control) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Astrobotic's next moon mission will send not one but two rovers to Earth's nearest neighbor. The Pittsburgh-based company plans to launch the first-ever mission of its Griffin…

The U.S. government has directed NASA to give the moon its own time zone. The space agency has until the end of 2026 to establish "Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC),"according to a memo sent to NASA by the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Lunar time will run differently…

Lander by Houston company Intuitive Machines is the first commercial craft to touch down on lunar surface US company Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar landing vehicle sent back this image before its historic touchdown. Photo: Intuitive Machines Powered by automated translation A Moon mission that marked the first time a commercial…

A selfie snapped by Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander on the surface of the moon on Feb. 22, 2024. The company shared this shot via X on Feb. 29, 2024, the day Odie powered down. (Image credit: Intuitive Machines) The first successful private moon-landing mission is officially over. On Feb. 22,…

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is slated to blast off on Monday, January 8, carrying an assortment of goodies, including cutting-edge scientific rovers, bitcoin, and a piece of Mount Everest. No doubt, this ain’t your grandfather’s Moon mission, as the era of commercial space deliveries is now upon us. The Moon…

An illustration of the COLEMNA microrobots on the lunar surface. (Image credit: UNAM/LINX) A historic private moon mission launches early on Monday (Jan. 8), and flying aboard will be five tiny robots developed in collaboration by a team of 250 university students in Mexico. Astrobiotic's Peregrine Mission One will launch…

Foreign Affairs The failure of Luna-25 is the result of generational problems in the Russian space program. The latest bitter joke circulating in Moscow is that their ill-fated Luna-25 moon probe smashed to bits after mysteriously falling out of a 10th floor window of the Luna Hilton. Other even less…